Method and system for acquiring geological data from a bore hole

Abstract

A system for blast hole data collection for use in a mine site incorporates an instrument configured to acquire geological property data of a blast hole for processing in the system or remotely and a vehicle having a handling system configured to move the instrument into and out of the blast hole as an interchangeable element with a drill string or prior to explosives charging and charging the blast hole in accordance with a determined charge profile.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of explosive material charging comprising:
 aligning a geological measurement instrument, supported on a vehicle, with a bore hole; 
 operating the instrument while lowering the instrument into the bore hole and/or while retrieving the instrument from the bore hole to acquire geological data of the ground in which the bore hole exists at a plurality of depths in the bore hole; 
 streaming the geological data with a data transmission system in the instrument in real time to a data receiver; 
 using the geological data, acquired by the instrument at the plurality of depths in the bore hole, to determine geological characteristics of the ground surrounding the bore hole and determining a charge profile by selecting two or more different explosives for the bore hole as a blast hole using the geological characteristics, while withdrawing the instrument from the bore hole and parking the instrument on the vehicle; and 
 autonomously charging the blast hole by the vehicle by depositing the two or more explosive materials in accordance with the charge profile determined on the basis of the geological characteristics of the ground surrounding the bore hole, with the charging depth of the each of the two or more explosives dependent on the geological characteristics. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the data receiver comprises a data processing system capable of determining the geological characteristics. 
     
     
       3. The method as defined in  claim 2  wherein the data processing system is cloud-based or located in a remote control center. 
     
     
       4. The method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the step of using the geological data is completed in near real-time. 
     
     
       5. The method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the geological characteristics are determined before the instrument is withdrawn from the bore hole and parked on the vehicle. 
     
     
       6. The method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the step of determining a charge profile comprises determining the required explosive power of the one or more explosive materials. 
     
     
       7. The method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the step of charging the blast hole further comprises controlling an explosive materials supply vehicle to deposit the one or more explosive materials in the blast hole. 
     
     
       8. The method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the plurality of depths is a plurality of depths at regular depth intervals. 
     
     
       9. The method as defined in  claim 8  wherein the plurality of depths are over the entire depth of the blast hole. 
     
     
       10. The method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the step of streaming the geological data comprises collecting data continuously and transmitting the geological data at successive regular depth intervals. 
     
     
       11. The method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the instrument comprises a hole contact mechanism arranged to physically contact an inner circumferential wall of the bore hole. 
     
     
       12. The method as defined in  claim 11  wherein the hole contact mechanism comprises a plurality of arms biased into contact with the inner circumferential wall of the bore hole. 
     
     
       13. The method as defined in  claim 12  wherein comprising the step of releasing the plurality of arms from a retracted position once the instrument reaches a bottom of the bore hole. 
     
     
       14. The method as defined in  claim 12  wherein the hole contact mechanism is configured to measure the hardness of the material of the inner circumferential wall. 
     
     
       15. The method as defined in  claim 1  wherein the geological instrument is supported on a boom, further comprising a pulley and cable winch system configured to raise and lower the instrument. 
     
     
       16. The method as defined in  claim 1  further comprising the step of operating a second geological measurement instrument when charging the blast hole and comparing the measurements of the instrument and the second instrument. 
     
     
       17. The method as defined in  claim 1  further comprising the step of controlling processing conditions based on the geological data subsequent to collection. 
     
     
       18. A method of explosive material charging of a blast hole comprising:
 streaming geological data with a data transmission system in an instrument inserted into a bore hole to a data receiver; 
 operating a second geological measurement instrument when charging the blast hole and comparing the measurements of the instrument and the second instrument, 
 using the geological data, acquired by the instrument at a plurality of depths in the bore hole, to determine geological characteristics of the ground surrounding the bore hole and determining a charge profile of explosive materials for the bore hole as the blast hole using the geological characteristics; and 
 autonomously charging the blast hole by depositing one or more explosive materials with a vehicle on the basis of the determined charge profile for the geological characteristics of the ground surrounding the bore hole.